Maximize Your Membership by Running for the Board by Sylvia Gentry, Weavers Way Leadership Committee
T
he Weavers Way
Board of Directors is
looking for members who want to become more involved in ensuring our Co-op stays on course to meet our Ends — the guiding policies that define the results and outcomes of all that the Co-op does. (See Weavers Way’s Ends on p. 19) The Leadership Committee, which oversees elections, is soliciting Co-op members to run for
DECEMBER 2021
BOARD
Since 1973 | The Newspaper of Weavers Way Co-op
Vol. 49 | No. 10
The Days Are Action is Needed by All to Develop Numbered For Ambler the Right Way Single-Use Water Bottles OPINION
Part 2 of 2
Shop Simpler and Smarter, and Be Kind
by Michael Frost, for the Shuttle
by Shari Stern, for the Shuttle hile
RUN
The Shuttle
Community-Owned, Open to Everyone
W
the Board. Becoming a Board member is one of the most impactful ways you can contribute to the longterm health and vitality of the Co-op. Any member in good standing is eligible to run, so please consider it! Each Board member is elected for a threeyear term, with a limit of two consecutive terms. For 2022, as of this writing, there will be three slots open on the 11-member volunteer Board.
for the
I
can’t speak for all
food companies, the handful I work with are sensitive to the price increases and the impact they have on wallets. They’re loyal to their customers and hope the depth of the pricing pressures are temporary, so several are not passing on the full price increase; rather, they are trying to share the extra costs. They continue to absorb losses and the negative impact to their bottom line, hoping that more stability will return soon, and that they can regain a healthy operating margin. Thus far, I have not seen evidence of any food manufacturer taking advantage of the situation or gouging. They’ve expressed compassion and sympathy about the financial impact that rising food prices bring. How You Can Weather the Inflation/ Shortage Storm ● Manage your shopping expectations: To help create efficiencies, some brands are prioritizing the production of their top-selling Stock Keeping Units, or SKUs. This temporary inconvenience is good for them in the long term, and anything that helps manage efficiency also helps keep costs down. So you may not get the exact flavor you want in the coming months, but this is the rationalization. If you are shopping for a recipe that involves artichokes and canned artichokes are wiped clean from the shelf,
A
mbler’s where it’s at. But you
by Valerie Glauser, Weaver Way Environment Committee
knew that already.
A
That’s why you moved here. That’s why you moved back here. That’s why you never left. And if you reside elsewhere but shop at the Co-op and patronize our theaters, restaurants, coffee shops, breweries and other establishments, you know that, too.
study, and discussion among members of the Weavers Way Environment Committee, its subcommittee, the Plastic Reduction Task Force, and Co-op management, it has been decided that, as of February 2022, still water in single-use plastic bottles will no longer be sold in the Co-op’s stores.
Why did you choose to live here —or start seeing Ambler on the sly? I’d guess it’s got something to do with the local businesses, that small-town feel, its historic architecture and expanse of open green space. So let’s keep it that way. Let’s preserve our history, protect our environment and prevent overdevelopment. And let’s be proactive about it. To see what could happen if we don’t, you only need to look across Bethlehem Pike to the Mattison Estate in Upper Dublin, where an historic site with an extensive wooded area and animal habitat was eviscerated to make way for a highend development. If you are unfamiliar with how all-encompassing the destruction was, a trip down Google Maps Lane will provide a visual reminder. You would think Ambler would have codes and/or regulations in place to prevent such carnage from happening on this side of the Pike. But we don’t. And despite talking about preserving our historic assets for decades, earmarking 25 specific sites for presentation 15 years ago, and finally taking baby steps in that direction this fall, we still don’t. That
(Continued on Page 19)
fter much research,
photo by Michael Frost
A sign identifying the asbestos field next to “The Crossings at Ambler Station”, a 114-unit multistory development slated to open next spring.
needs to change. From Asbestos Capital to Hot Ticket Ambler’s history hasn’t always been pretty, as its former nickname of “Asbestos Capital of the World” can attest. Many of the buildings from that era remain and live to tell the story. The sphere of power and influence emanated from the facade of Lindenwold Castle, which was gilded to look like Windsor and now the last man standing at Mattison Estate. It can be seen in the trail of Gothic architecture, 400 homes in all, (Continued on Page 13)
For now, the Co-op will continue to sell gallon-size containers of water and seltzer in plastic bottles. The decision to eliminate the five to 10 water SKUs that fall into the singleuse category comes after research has shown how much of the plastic waste stream is made up of these bottles. In addition, there is evidence that plastics pose a threat to public health. An article published last December on the Endocrine Society’s website cites a report published by the Society in conjunction with the International Pollutants Elimination Network that states that such endocrine-disrupting chemicals as bisphenol A, flame retardants, phthalates, dioxins, and toxic metals such as lead and cadmium are known to leach from plastics for the entire life span of the products. (Continued on Page 12)
Happy Holidays Weavers Way is closed Saturday, Dec. 25, and Friday, Jan. 1. Stores will CLOSE at 6 p.m. Dec. 24
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